03-Feb-2003 -- I was stuck in Highlevel for an extra day since I couldn't get on the flight out of town and feeling very bored, when it dawned on me to track down another confluence. I opened up OziExplorer and noticed that 58N 117W was not to far of a drive or hike from the nearest road, so I threw a few things in the truck and raced off, since the day was only growing shorter. It was at the ice bridge were I stopped to click a picture of the crossing that I realized that I had forgotten my boots, rats. Well, it's not much of a hike and the snow isn't to bad so I convinced myself to continue.

I parked my truck directly east of the confluence thinking that would be the most direct line to the site, about 2.7 km in a straight line. I hopped a fence and walked across an open field for the first 550m and then it was bushwhacking through a forest of popular interspersed with willows and swampy areas. The meters to the site were starting to count down, it was a good thing because my shoes were starting to freeze to my feet in the minus 14 temperatures. I was holding up the GPS and getting closer to the 0 m to the waypoint when I noticed that the coordinates were not even close to be 117 degrees. Rats, mistake #2, I entered in the wrong coordinates. How did I do that? Oh well, only 1.3km to the actual site, wow my feet are cold, that was really dumb of me to forget my boots, but still I have the first aid kit, flares and a lighter; I'll be OK. Good thing I called my wife and told her that I would be hiking in the bush and that if I didn't call in that night to let someone know. The silly thoughts that go through your head.

I continued on and found the site, though my route was not straight forward. I tried to stick to the swamp areas which are more open rather than through the thicker bush. I did the big circle walk trying to get the GPS to read a perfect 58.000N x 117.000W, a little off but close enough. After a few pictures in the area and a bite to eat I was of, back to the truck. This time I had to stop and warm my toes every 1/2 hour because my socks were freezing to my shoes in the thigh deep snow and I was worried about frost bite.

I finally got back to the truck after 2hours and 45 minutes with my socks and shoes frozen in place to the point I couldn't get them off. Heat, I needed heat. It was about 35 minutes later when I was able to pry my second shoe off. It was also around this time that I had cell service, so a quick call to my wife to confirm I was back and that another confluence had been visited.

Hike safe, Dennis